Perforated sheet-music.



H. E. PROPSON.

PBRFORATED SHEET MUSIC.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 26, 1910.

Patented Mar. 17, 1914.

UNITED STATES PATENT oEEioE.

HARRY E. PROPSON, OF PLAINVILLE, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TOLOUIS M. SCHMIDT, OF NEVI BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 17, 1914.

Application filed April 26, 1910. Serial No. 557,696.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY E. PROPSON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Plainville, in the county of Hartford and State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inPerforated Sheet-Music, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in perforated sheet music and theobjects of my improvements are to produce such music involving sustainednotes that will be durable and serviceable.

In the accompanying drawing: Figure 1 is a front elevation of a roll ofperforated sheet music embodying my invention, a tracker board, and partof a mechanical musical instrument or piano player. Fig. 2 is atransverse sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 is a front elevation ofpart of a modification of my perforated music sheet and a tracker boardand on an enlarged scale. Fig. 4 1s a similar view of part of Fig. 1.Fig. 5 is a similar view of another modification of my perforated musicsheet.

A is the body of a paper roll of perforated sheet music and when thesame is in use it is provided with spools or rolls, whereby it is rolledonto one roll and oil from the other, and in passing between the tworolls the said body is moved longitudinally over a tracker board such asB in an ordinary manner. The said body A is provided with perforationsor note openings, such as C and others to be described, arranged inlongitudinal rows and which register in their travel with apertures D inthe said tracker board B and thereby the said body A serves in a wellknown and ordinary manner to automatically produce or reproduce music ona piano by means of pneumatically operated appliances or pneumatics ofan automatic piano player such as the pianola P, such Pneumatics,pneumatically operated appliances and automatic piano players being wellknown and ordinary in their operation. The dimensions of the saidapertures D may be essentially tinch in the greatest dimension or widthand which is crosswise with reference to the line of travel of the paperA and inch in length G, or in longitudinal alinement with such directionof travel. Under these conditions, a perforation C about -1 inch indiameter is provided and is suitable when in registration with the saidaperture D for operating the pneumatics referred to so as to cause thestriking of a musical note and as the paper A moves along, but as soonas the aperture D is covered by the body of the paper A or a sealingbridge E between consecutive note openings 0 the note striking means arerestored to their normal positions, all of which is ordinary inoperation.

As described, the passage of an opening C over an aperture D results inproducing an ordinary single note. I find that where a perforation suchas C and of the dimensions given is suitable for striking a note such as0 Fig. 3, that a slot F narrower than the diameter of the saidperforation C is suitable for sustaining a note. I find also that thedesired note may also be sustained by providing a bridge H as shown inFig. 5 between the said note striking opening C and the slot F providedthe said bridge H is narrower than the length G of the said aperture Din the tracker board B.

In Fig. 4 the initial or note-striking openmg of perforation C is ofstandard size, and the note-holding or note-sustaining openings orperforations I are of smaller diameter and separated from thenote-striking opening C and from one another by holding bridges H, whichbridges, as mentioned above, are narrower than the length G of theaperture D in the tracker board B. Accordingly, the series of openings Cand I, and bridges H, and the tracker board B represent means forcausing the striking and sustaining of a musical note, and the openingsI are of less width and smaller in dimensions in all directions than theopening C Because of the fact as stated that the holding bridges H arenarrower than the length G of the aperture D in the tracker board B, thefirst of the series of note sustaining openings or perforations willbegin to operate before the action of the initial or note strikingopening or perforation has ceased to operate and the consecutive notesustaining openings or perforations of the series will begin to operatebefore the openings or perforations immediately preceding the same haveceased to operate.

The note sustaining perforations that effeet the result described maydiffer in dimensions from the initial or note striking perforations andsuch difference in dimensions may be simply a difference in width,

or may involve difference in dimensions in all directions as mentionedin regard to the perforations I as compared to the perforation G Iprefer to make the conditions as stated with regard to perforations Iand C and in which condition, briefly stated, the note sustainingperforations are smaller than the note striking perforation.

I claim as my invention:

1. A music sheet having a series of perforations in longitudinalalinement and suitable for operation in combination with apertures in atracker board for causing the striking and sustaining of a musical note,the consecutive perforations of the said series separated by holdingbridges that are narrower in Width than the length of the said aperturesin the direction of the longitudinal movement of the said sheet, and thesaid series comprising an initial perforaseparated by holding bridgesthat are narrower in Width than the length of the said apertures in thedirection of the longitudinal movement of the said sheet, and the saidseries comprising an initial perforation of one size and the rest of theseries smaller than the said initial perforation.

HARRY E. PROPSON. Witnesses:

SHEFFIELD H. CLARKE, NEWTON L. LOCKW'OOD.

Copies at this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. C.

